


Sorrow, Sighing, Bleeding, Dying

by Merixcil



Series: Advent Fics 2018 [13]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:47:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25287793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merixcil/pseuds/Merixcil
Summary: Stephanie helps out a kid who's not going to make it through Christmas
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Bruce Wayne
Series: Advent Fics 2018 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1824643
Kudos: 4





	Sorrow, Sighing, Bleeding, Dying

He’s just a kid, with his rib cage smashed open by a bullet he didn’t see coming, staring up at the sky and watching the snow fall to meet him. The gunman is getting away, footsteps fading to nothing below the hubbub of the traffic but Stephanie’s feet refuse to follow. That’s what you’re supposed to do, official batfam protocol, you always go after the killer. A call to nine one one will take care of everything else. 

Blood seeps into the tarmac, stained grey with smog filled snow. Stephanie breathes in and when the air escapes her lungs it comes out as a sob. Without thinking, she pulls down the bandanna covering the lower half of her face, because right now all that exists is this alley. Her and this boy, who looks to be a year or two younger than her at most. His eyes are wide but his hands feeling for the edge of the wound are steady, like his brain hasn’t yet informed the rest of his body that he’s going into shock. 

Paling lips form soundless shapes. He tries to speak and his busted lung gives out on him. Stephanie can practically see it collapsing. 

“It’s alright.” She sweeps in, uncoupling her cape to lay it over him. “It’s alright, I’m gonna get you some help.” Her left hand finds the wound and applies pressure, just like Leslie taught her, trying to stop the bleeding, but she can feel the ragged edges of broken ribs puncturing the organs below and she can feel the weakening pulse of his heart as his pulmonary artery spits out more and more blood and like the writing on the wall, she knows he’s not going to make it. 

With her right hand, she activates the comm link up. “Batman.”

“Spoiler.” Bruce’s voice comes emotionless and gruff. “Where are you? I heard gunshots, shouldn’t you be on the move by now?”

“Call an ambulance.” Stephanie’s voice comes weak. In her arms, the boy twitches and shivers, trying to get comfortable as the colour drains from his face. Dark hair and amber skin. He could be Cass’s long lost brother. The smile that prickles the corners of her mouth is entirely ironic. 

“Spoiler!” Bruce barks. “I need you going after the gunman.”

“Call an ambulance, Bruce.” Stephanie pleads. And if he has anything more to say, she doesn’t hear it. Her hand falls back to her side and the link up dies along with his voice. He won’t call anyone, but if she’s lucky Alfred will have been listening in, and he will. 

The boy is looking up at her without seeing. Stephanie manoeuvres his head into her lap, still pressing down on his chest like that’s going to make a difference. CPR won’t save him, you need blood to fill a heart. 

“Gonna get you all fixed up.” Stephanie tells him, so quiet she doesn’t know if he can hear her over the sirens in the distance. “Gonna get you home in time for Christmas. I mean, if you celebrate, if that’s what you want… Gonna get you fixed up. It’s okay.”

Christmas is two day’s away and no one comes back from anything like this in a hurry. Christmas is two day’s away and Stephanie won’t have gotten his blood out of her uniform by then. Christmas is two day’s away and Stephanie really hopes that her mom never has to hold her through the end of everything. 

The boy dies with his eyes open, staring at Stephanie or the sky. His blood stays dripping through her fingers for another minute before it remembers how to coagulate, entirely too late. 

Stephanie pulls her cape free, and sits back to wait for the ambulance. 

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted as part of a multi chaptered 'advent fics' fic that I'm trying to split up. If you think you've read it before, you probably have
> 
> Comments on the previous posting of this fic (just ask if you want me to remove yours) include:
> 
> >Bright_Elen: :'(  
> >>Merixcil: I know....poor Steph isn't having a good Christmas


End file.
